


Catching Fire

by masayume2126 (dreamyvanilla)



Category: Naruto
Genre: F/M, Horror, Other, Romance, Supernatural Elements, Thriller
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-10
Updated: 2021-03-10
Packaged: 2021-03-16 16:15:39
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,202
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29952591
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dreamyvanilla/pseuds/masayume2126
Summary: It has been five days since he last received a report from Uzumaki Naruto, who was currently running a diplomatic mission in the mysterious land of the Woods. And now, there it was. A sealed black scroll lying on the desk of the Rokudaime Hokage, just waiting to be opened. The presence of the black scroll meant only one thing. Uzumaki Naruto was in the danger and calling for immediate aid. Without giving it another thought, there they were ANBU team one and five, dispatched to recover one of their own. How did a simple diplomatic mission evolved into something far beyond S-rank? AU/Shinobi/ Non-Massacre
Relationships: Haruno Sakura/Uchiha Itachi
Comments: 3
Kudos: 6





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: This story is a work of fan-fiction. I do not own Naruto.
> 
> Hello!  
> Just a heads up, English is not my first language, so please be kind. Constructive criticism is most welcome.   
> About the story:  
> This will be a haunted tale filled with the supernatural, suspense, horror, even romance.  
> Important:  
> This story is an AU (what else can it be when toying with this idea)  
> Yes, we are in the Shinobi world  
> Yes, Hatake Kakashi is now the Rokudaime Hokage.  
> No, Obito did not survive at the Kannabi Bridge - hence Minato and Kushina survived, enabling Naruto to grow up in a loving home (this was a personal choice, I wanted to write Naruto in a story where he indeed had loving parents his whole life)  
> No, the Uchiha massacre did not happen - they are all very much alive thanks to Shisui's Kotoamatsukami, thus Sasuke never left Konohagakure.  
> This story has been rated M - you have been warned.  
> Happy Reading! ^^

PROLOGUE  
It was dark within the confines of the ancient shrine, hidden deep within the woods. Her eyes slowly opened, as she awakened from her forced slumber to the sound of the old rotting window shutters creaking in the wind. Sakura breathed rapidly as she sat up, her shaky hand reaching for the back of her head. As her fingertips gently touched the throbbing space at the back of her head. She winced in pain as her fingers became soaked with her blood — she did not hesitate, quickly she let her the green glow of her chakra slip from her fingers and onto the small wound, sealing it with quick precision.  
It took her a moment to gather herself as her eyes adjusted in the darkness, allowing her to make out the shape of her surroundings. At first, she glanced towards the exposed window, watching as the misty rain drizzled onto the old cedar floor. A shiver ran down her spine, as coldness enveloped her. Her eyes shifted to take in her surroundings. She was in the middle of a small empty room on the upper level of the shrine — the room had only two archways in opposite directions of one another.   
There was no sign of her teammates. Just her, alone in an abandoned shrine in the middle of the night.   
“Come and play with me”  
“Come and play”  
She rose to her feet quickly, her heart pounding against her chest as she took the archway on the left, hoping to leave the disembodied voice behind.   
“Ha..ha..ha”  
Her pace quickened. She made her way down the hall, trying to ignore the sound of her footsteps — as with each step she took the old wood beneath her feet creaked. She sped up more, rushing down the endless hall as dread settled in the pit of her stomach.   
“Ha..ha..ha”  
As she reached the end of the hallway, she came to a large room that housed a large Her eyes flashed around, noticing a shift in movement in her peripheral vision. She breathed heavily through her mouth, trying to remain calm, as she glanced down to the lower level — the distance between the two floors was much larger than what she expected, a fall from this height would be dangerous, even for shinobi. She touched the partly rotted railing of the dilapidated wooden staircase, taking a step forward, only for her foot to go through the wooden step. She plunged down, wedging her leg up to her calf between the steps. The railing she was holding onto cracked under the pressure, falling below with a loud thud.   
“Shit,” she swore under her breath, as she steadied herself.   
For a moment, she stopped her ministrations and she glanced down to the lower level. There twenty feet below, the sound of sudden rustling of the door stole her attention. Her heart was going to jump out of her chest. Then as the doors slid open, a familiar figure appeared. She felt a wave of relief wash over her as she recognized the ANBU captain standing in the doorway — his Sharingan eyes blazing.  
“Sakura!” he called out to her.   
“Itachi, this whole place is unstable,” she said.   
“It’s gonna be alright Sakura. Let’s get you out of here,” he replied.   
His red eyes flickered around the room, observing their surroundings. Sakura reached down her leg, managing to free it from the confinement. She glanced down to Itachi as she straightened herself up.  
“Jump, I’ll catch you,” he called to her as he stood just under spot where the broken railing fell prior.   
He readied himself for her fall. She nodded and as she was ready to take the dive, the voice returned once more but this time its playful undertone was gone. Instead, it was a threatening, guttural sound.  
“No, I want you stay!”


	2. Chapter 1. The Black Scroll

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello my lovely readers,  
> here's chapter 1 of Catching Fire. Please keep in mind that it does rely on some exposition since I needed to establish the relationships in this AU.  
> This story has been rated M - you have been warned.  
> Happy Reading! ^^

**Chapter 1. The Black Scroll**

_Two weeks prior._

Today was just like any other day. This was just another medical report, just another summary after yet another successful mission. Haruno Sakura, ANBU team five medic stood in the office of the Rokudaime Hokage, waiting patiently as the Konohagakure leader glanced over the current report. Hatake Kakashi was dressed in his preferred garb, opting to leave the Hokage cloak and hat hanging on a hook by the exit of his office. He was leaning over his desk as he thoroughly examined the medical status of the team members.

For Sakura, this was a normal occurrence — _after every mission, she was to complete a medical brief on the state of her entire team._ This new protocol was established by her shishou Godaime Hokage, to ensure that shinobi would receive adequate care post-mission and that the mission eager ANBU team members would have actual time off between missions. She smiled at her former silver-haired sensei as his eyes remained focused on the report.

______________________________________________________________________________

Report #2401

**Medical Brief on ANBU Team Five** _(post-mission)_

**Mission:** _infiltrate fortified Manazami town in the land of Earth, assassinate Fudamachi Tetsuya and Fudamachi Tōya_

**Mission Status:** _Completed, no casualties._

______________________________________________________________________________

**Team Five Status:**

**Alpha/Taichou: Shiranui Genma**

_sustained heavy injuries: several lacerations to his lower back and right leg, currently recovering in Konoha Senju Hospital. Expected recovery: three to five weeks._

**Beta: Uchiha Sasuke**

_overused Sharingan, has since recovered due to a healing chakra wash performed at the Konoha Senju Hospital. Currently ready to resume missions._

**Haruno Sakura**

_team medic: sustained mild concussion and chakra deterioration, has since recovered under the care of Senju Tsunade. Currently ready to resume missions._

**Shiranui Arata**

_sustained heavy injuries to both legs as a result of an earth style jutsu. Expected recovery: three to four weeks._

______________________________________________________________________________

“So, Genma and Arata are out for three weeks minimum?” Kakashi inquired as his eyes traveled from the mission brief and to the pink-haired kunoichi.

Sakura straightened her relaxed stance and simply nodded,” Hai, as per hospital protocol.”

Kakashi nodded in approval as he placed the mission brief back into the beige folder. Then his sight returned to the young medic.

“Very well, for now team five will be taken off the mission roster. However, if the situation arises, I will summon you or Sasuke for a mission to join another team,” Kakashi said.

“Very well Hokage-sama.”

At the sound of his title, Sakura giggled as she noticed his eyes wince in displeasure.

“I told you not to call me that,” he said.

“Sorry, it just slips out Kakashi,” Sakura grinned.

“Sure, it does. You’re dismissed,” he replied.

* * *

Sakura nodded and she turned on her heels and headed out of the office. There right across from the office doors, leaning casually against the wall was her ANBU teammate Sasuke. He had his arms folded across his chest, displaying his boredom and displeasure over the lack of mission action. Uchiha Sasuke belonged to the group of ANBU shinobi who thrived on spending time out of the village, who enjoyed mission after mission, exploring the wilderness of all the lands. For him, remaining in a village for a lengthy period of a time, was something akin to torture. The moment the doors to the Hokage office shut behind her and she took the few steps away from the ANBU guard that stood vigilant on each side of the door, Sasuke took a step forward, joining her in the walk through the tower’s corridor.

As they reached the main staircase and began their descend to the lower level, Sasuke finally uttered, “so, are we active?”

Sakura glanced over at her eager teammate and replied, “yes, we are active but only if we are necessary to be dispatched for a mission.”

“Hn.”

“You know, you could have gone in with me. You didn’t have to wait outside,” she commented.

“No thanks. I’ve spent enough time with Kakashi as his student. I don’t need to spend extra time mulling over report briefs,” Sasuke said as they exited the tower and made their way onto the main street.

“I understand, I try to avoid Tsunade-sama on my days off too, otherwise I would be drafted for an extra shift at the hospital,” Sakura said.

“At least we don’t live with our sensei like Naruto does,” Sasuke commented.

“True. Well, when you think about it, it is kind of amazing that all members of team seven were trained by a Hokage. Naruto was trained by the fourth. I had the privilege of studying under the fifth. It’s only fitting that you ended up training with the sixth,” Sakura said.

“Hn, had he not declined the offer, my brother would have been the sixth.”

“Is the clan still angry about that?” Sakura inquired.

“Partly. The elders are breathing down my brother’s neck because he declined the Hokage post.”

“Well, no wonder he had to leave our date early yesterday,” Sakura sighed as she thought back to previous night and how fifteen minutes into their evening, Itachi was summoned by his father for an emergency clan meeting. She would be lying if she would say that his sudden departure did not upset her. ANBU life was unforgiving. Their schedules were already chaotic, barely meeting once or twice a week and this was meant to be only their third date. Perhaps, they were rushing into a relationship that was simply not meant to be.

“Let’s not talk about my brother. You’re my teammate and you’re in a relationship with him and-”

Sakura quickly jumped in, interrupting him, “Umm, not really a relationship yet. Just a few dates that’s all.”

“Tell that to my mother. She is already thinking about grandchildren,” Sasuke retorted.

“Oh, great,” Sakura said as she thought back to the Uchiha matriarch. She knew Mikoto very well, ever since her genin days when team seven would spend frequent dinners with the Uchiha family. Mikoto was happy that Sasuke had such great friends — _it was thanks to Sakura and Naruto that Sasuke remained a kid for as long as possible, without the interference of the Uchiha clan_. Then again, Sasuke was not the heir, as the elders aptly called him — _he was just the spare_.

Sakura knew that Mikoto hoped that she would end up dating her younger son, but fate had other plans. While Sakura might have had a small crush at one point on the younger Uchiha, that love soon blossomed into something else. For her, the members of team seven were her family — _Kakashi was no longer just a sensei, but a kind elder brother, and Naruto and Sasuke were her younger brothers, both quite goofy and competitive. It only took a few years for them to mature into the men they were now._

“Too bad Naruto is not home yet. We could have grabbed old team dinner now that our team is grounded,” Sasuke said suddenly as they approached Sakura’s apartment building.

“You’re missing your best friend that’s sweet,” Sakura teased.

“Hn, you’re annoying,” Sasuke replied.

“Yeah yeah, we have already established that long ago. Look, I’m heading to bed. I’ll see you tomorrow,” Sakura said as she opened the door to the building.

“I’ll see you later,” Sasuke nodded and the young Uchiha continued on in the direction of the Uchiha compound.

Sakura smiled as she entered the building and made her way up to the second floor. She was already looking forward to entering her apartment, stripping off her red qipao and black shorts and climbing into a hot shower. She just wanted to relax. As she made her way down the hallway towards her apartment, a smile appeared on her face as she noticed a familiar figure standing in front of her door. As she made her way towards him, a small smile appeared as their gaze met.

There he was, the Uchiha heir and captain of ANBU team one, holding in his right hand a large bouquet of white calla lilies — _no doubt courtesy of the Yamanaka flower shop_. He was standing before the door to her apartment, waiting patiently for her arrival — _as if he was aware that she was due to be home any minute_. He was dressed out of his ANBU uniform, opting to wear standard black shinobi pants and a loose grey shirt. His hitai-ate was currently absent from his forehead. Instead, it found its new home, hanging on the side of his hip. And as usual, his long raven tresses were tied into a loose ponytail.

“Itachi, what’s with the flowers?” she asked.

“An apology,” he offered with a soft smile upon his lips.

“For?”

“For leaving early on our last date. It should not have happened,” he explained.

“Your clan keeps you very busy.”

“I know. I’m sorry,” he said, and he lifted the bouquet for her to take.

She took the bouquet from his arms and brought the blooming buds to her face, taking a small inhale of their sweet scent.

“They are beautiful. Thank you,” Sakura said.

“So, may I have another date? Tomorrow evening at seven?” Itachi pressed as he leaned forward.

“Alright,” she agreed.

“Sweet dreams Sakura,” he said softly as placed a soft kiss on her left cheek.

Then he took a step back and vanished in a murder of crows.

* * *

_The following morning._

She was thankful for having an early evening last night — _that she had a moment to focus on herself, soothe her tired muscles with hot water, and settle in her very comfortable bed for a full night sleep._ It was as if her own body knew that she would be required to be completely rested come morning. For here she was, at the break of dawn, standing back inside the Hokage’s office, only this time she was not alone. She was standing in front of the Kakashi’s desk, standing between the two Uchiha brothers. On her left there was Sasuke, while on her right there was Itachi, followed by the rest of ANBU team on. Kakashi remained seated behind the desk. There standing next to him were the former leaders of the village: Yondaime and Godaime. Tsunade was leaning against the wall with her arms folded across her chest as she tried her hardest to remain calm — _yet Sakura had known different_. The woman who was her teacher appeared flummoxed; her eyes centered onto the object that rested on the Rokudaime’s desk. The fourth Hokage did not seem like himself either — _Namikaze Minato was usually calm and collected, and yet now he seemed anxious_. Worry becomes him, she thought. This was not a regular mission summon. It was not every day that two ANBU teams were summoned to be seen by the Hokage and his council.

“I know you are curious why I had you summoned at this early hour,” Kakashi began with a calm voice.

His eyes traveled from each member of team one to the two present members of team five. Then, he glanced back to his desk and reached for the wrapped black scroll, unraveling it across his desk. There splattered with white ink was the sequence of the following words.

_“Yamato missing. Plague among us. Death walks.”_

“What is this?” Sasuke inquired first, his eyes shifting from the scroll to his former teacher.

“The black scroll is a protocol that is sent out in cases of imminent death of high officials or royal members of the land of fire. It is sent out as a call for immediate aid,” Kakashi explained as he rolled up the black scroll once more.   
“And Naruto knew of this?” Sakura asked out loud.

“Hai, I made sure my son was aware of it before his departure to the land of Woods,” Minato chimed in.

“What’s our mission?” Itachi said calmly.

“Retrieval,” Kakashi replied. 

“Land of Wood? Wood?! Why did you send Naruto to a country we barely know anything about?” Sasuke asked rudely, his gaze on Kakashi. 

Sakura reached over grabbing his arm, as if trying to tell him to calm down, that his anger and rudeness would not be appropriate in this matter. She knew it was pointless, for the young Uchiha always did as he pleased, but in this instance, it was as if she wanted him to know that she shared his worry over their blond-haired teammate. 

“It was a simple B-rank diplomatic mission, however, with the arrival of the black scroll I have no choice but to mark it S-rank. In fact, there is no rating for what level of a mission this turned out to be. Which is why I will be dispatching ANBU team one and the active members of team five. Sakura is the top medic that is capable of fighting on the front lines, whereas Chihiro is not. However, having the presence of two medics will be beneficial,” Kakashi stated. 

“Hokage-sama, what was Uzumaki-san’s original mission supposed to entail?” Itachi asked

“Uzumaki Naruto was dispatched along with Hyūga Hinata, and Yamato to the Land of Woods, three days south east from our border. His destination was the Hatsumei fortified city on the edge of the lake Aino. Their mission was to accompany the Fire daimyō youngest daughter Tomoe and stay until her marriage to the Wood daimyō’s son Nobutada was complete,” Kakashi explained.

“Why land of Wood?” Sakura asked.

Tsunade moved from her stance and said, “the land of Wood is a rich country led by a reclusive daimyō. It would be best to keep on your toes.”

“The Wood country has no shinobi. They do not like us, therefore, thread carefully there,” Minato added. 

“I am deploying ANBU team one with the addition of two more members from currently inactive team five. Itachi-san, as captain of the team you are in charge of the mission. Your objective is simple: Locate Uzumaki Naruto, Yamato Tenzō, and Hyūga Hinata, and ensure the completion of their original mission. If the mission cannot be completed as per the black scroll’s arrival, ensure your safe return to our village,” Kakashi stated.

Each ANBU member then lowered their heads in understanding.

“When do we leave?” Sakura asked as she looked over to her new captain — the long-haired Uchiha heir.

“We leave at once. Gather your essentials. We meet at the gate in twenty minutes,” Itachi ordered. 


	3. Chapter 2. A Song

**Chapter 2. A Song**

_Somewhere in the land of Fire._

The sun was setting as they approached the border of the land of the Wood. They were close to a bountiful river and its majestic waterfall that cascaded down the cliffs. There on its left, hidden among the foliage was a partly exposed cave, just big enough for them to settle in for the night. The cave was dry and free from any unpleasant smells. It was a sufficient spot to rest and ready for their entrance to the land of Wood in the morning.

“This place will suffice. Shisui, Sasuke, start the fire, “Itachi declared as he looked to his five-member team.

Sasuke dropped his backpack and headed into the forest, ready to collect firewood for the night. Meanwhile Shisui began to create some sort of a firepit with the help of some rocks.

“The river is overflowing with fish. I’ll go and try my luck for dinner,” Chihiro volunteered, and she also set down her backpack at the edge of the cave and pulled out a single kunai before she headed over to the edge of the water.

Shisui placed several rocks in the center of the small cave, creating a small firepit to contain the branches As Sakura unrolled her sleeping bag near the fire, Tenma set down his gear and let out a sigh.

“Why are we camping out here when the land of Wood is just over that ravine?” Tenma asked.

“We are to avoid entering the land of Wood during the night. Therefore, we wait until morning,” Itachi said as he readied his sleeping bag intentionally next to Sakura.

“But why?” Tenma asked again.

“Don’t you know the story?” Shisui teased.

“No, not really. They don’t teach about minor countries in the academy you know,” Tenma nearly pouted.

“He’s just teasing you Tenma,” Sakura said as she sat down next to the inquisitive ninja.

“Asshole,” Tenma mumbled in Shisui’s direction.

As soon as Sasuke returned with the firewood, he and Shisui created the fire with ease.

“There isn’t much known about the land of Wood. It is quite a small country in comparison to the land of fire. They have samurai as their primary mode of defense, and they dislike shinobi. The Wood people also prefer to keep to themselves. The largest settlement is Hatsumei, near lake Aino. It is supposed to be a vast and heavily fortified place with farmlands just outside that stretch towards the thick forests. In some of the books, they call it the impenetrable fortress because it is built on sacred grounds,” Sakura readied the tea kettle and placed it over the fire as she spouted facts about the land of the wood like a walking encyclopedia.

“Great, so we’re going into a place where we’re not welcome. What else?” Tenma asked, not pleased with the situation.

“That’s all that there’s known about it in Konohagakure. Sorry Tenma, it looks like we’ll have to wait and see what awaits,” Sakura replied.

Then, from the bushes Chihiro emerged, carrying in her hands five Oikawa minnows, completely pleased with her fishing skill.

“Who’s ready for dinner?” she announced.

* * *

_A few hours later._

It was in the middle of the night when Sakura quickly awakened. Her face stained with droplets of sweat as her jade eyes widened in horror. Her heart was racing. _It was only a nightmare. It wasn’t real. Everything would turn out alright. They would reach Naruto in time. She was not willing to go back to sleep and relive the nightmare._ So, she simply unzipped her sleeping bag and sat up. The night seemed peaceful. The small fire continued to pop and crackle, illuminating the small enclave within the rocks that was their temporary camp. She glanced down onto her wrist, taking note of the time — _nearly two in the morning_. As Sakura managed to disentangle herself from her sleeping bag, she glanced over her companions. Tenma was in deep sleep, mumbling a slight cacophonic symphony with his never-ending snoring. On the other side of the small fire pit, were Chihiro, Sasuke and Shisui sleeping soundly _._ Chihiro slept next to Sasuke and Shisui, as if she knew to avoid Tenma’s snores. Sakura stood, stretching her limbs slightly before her eyes fell onto the vacant sleeping bag next to Tenma. Their captain was on guard duty.

She took a few steps forward, abandoning the camp in search of their captain. As she passed through the bushes, she noticed him sitting peacefully on a flat rock — _as if he was in a meditative state, almost a sleeping guardian yet ready to attack if one dared approach his domain_. For a moment, she admired the sight of the deadly shinobi guardian, the prodigal son of the Uchiha clan. He remained dressed in his ANBU uniform, but his porcelain mask was gone from his pale face. His eyes were red, affixed towards the ravine that separated them from their destination. Sakura came around the flat rock and took a seat next to him.

“You should be sleeping Haruno-san,” he said calmly, breaking the silence.

Sakura took note of his words — _addressing her by her last name only meant that she in this very moment, was still his subordinate and not a woman he had enjoyed spending time with._ She cleared her throat and proceeded to answer.

“I can’t fall asleep taichou … Tenma’s snoring. So, I thought I’d join you on guard duty.”

Her eyes were affixed towards the ravine, towards the land of Wood just as his.

“Just Tenma?” he inquired.

“Well, that and I dreamt something that…. wasn’t pleasant,” Sakura nearly mumbled under her breath.

“Bad dream?”

“Yes, about Naruto. I’m worried,” Sakura admitted.

“Naruto-san is a strong shinobi. I’m sure he is capable of handling the situation until we arrive. This is our only stop before we reach Hatsumei,” Itachi replied, as if to offer her a bit of comfort.

“Yeah, I know. Naruto is too stubborn,” Sakura concluded.

“You should get some sleep Haruno-san. I will keep guard,” Itachi replied.

Sakura softly exhaled, sitting for a moment longer next to him as she took the time to reflect on her life. _Here she sat, with the man she was currently supposedly dating. They have not had much time to spend together. Their lives were busy, catering to the whims of the kage, of the hospital (on Sakura’s part) and of the clan (on Itachi’s part). There were moments when she wondered, whatever possessed Sasuke’s older brother to pursue her in the first place. He was nearly six years older than her, a captain of team one ANBU, a well-respected shinobi and clan member of the Uchiha clan. She wondered when he had stopped seeing her as merely as his brother’s teammate. Then again, she was not just anybody. She was a well-respected kunoichi in her own right, by her own hard work. A medical shinobi that had long surpassed her own shishou Tsunade. Yes, they haven’t had much time to let their romance blossom, and yet here in this moment, in this silence, she wished to stay in his company for much longer._

“Itachi?”

The moment his name slipped from her lips, Itachi’s demeanor shifted. His red Sharingan eyes averted, taking in the soft details of the pink-haired kunoichi sitting next to him. His intense gaze seemed as if he was carving her features into his memory thanks to his kekkei genkai.

“Hmm?” he uttered.

“May I stay?”

He remained silent. Instead, his hand inched closer to hers, delicately intertwining his fingers with hers. Then, he lifted her hand towards his face, placing a soft kiss on her knuckles. Her cheeks burned red at the small affectionate gesture. Sakura gently squeezed his hand in return, and she leaned towards him, basking in the comfort of their closeness.

* * *

_Meanwhile in the land of Wood._

There, past the endless green wood, a large sprawling lake glittered with the soft glow of moonlight. North of the lake it stood: the magnificent fortress city of Hatsumei — _its tall, sturdy walls guarding its secrets from unwelcome visitors._ It was surrounded by green meadows that curved its way towards the thick, dark woodlands. From the east, there were farmlands that spread towards the Aino lake. The nature around Hatsumei seemed restless. There were no insects chirping in the grass, not a breeze in the air — _a deathly silence covered the land of the wood._

The fortress city of Hatsumei had only one entrance into the city. Its tall and heavy doors rarely swung open fully. Within its walls, there were numerous buildings cloistered together, as if they were hiding secrets within their foundation. In the middle of the guarded city was the large home of the lord and the current residence of the remaining Konoha shinobi — _Uzumaki Naruto and Hyūga Hinata._

For Naruto, the sight of Hatsumei was unlike anything he had ever seen. He took this mission, believing it to be a simple escort mission into an unknown country — _that alone fueled excitement within him, to have the opportunity to see a place none within the fire country saw before._ And yet, this supposed simple mission turned into the most unimaginable scenarios his mind could come up with. Within the day of their arrival, strange occurrences began. At first, it was the spreading unknown illness amongst the citizens, one which also struck Tomoe, the woman they brought here. The locals blamed the spirits of the forest. He heard their stories of the supposed phenomenon that happened every few years — _the rolling fog that choked the air out of the lungs, the rider in the dark, and the boy. Naruto did not care for horror stories. He was a shinobi and he had witnessed people do terrible things to each other. He did not believe in ghost stories. His mind would be simply playing tricks on him. It was this place — so haunted, so deathly, so unreal._

However, the sudden disappearance of Yamato changed his tune. He did not understand the situation of Hatsumei and felt powerless to stop it. Yamato was taken by the fog as he volunteered to investigate the dark wood during the day. He heard his screams — _he heard the gallop of the horse, he heard the sound of bones fracturing upon impact, the death rattle…_

What he knew was that people dying: either from the illness, or from the haunting call of the boy. The only thing that became apparent was that most of the people dying were men. The samurai of the land were nearly gone within a matter of days, taken by the unknown. And for Naruto the only question remained — _was he next?_

He stood on the rampart of the walls, contemplating their next step as they waited for help. _The black scroll was their only hope._ His gaze shifted towards the lake, its glittering waters soothing his troubled mind. A patter of footsteps that approached him, pulled him from his hypnotizing gaze, and his blue eyes met lavender — _his current teammate and the only person he could trust in this cursed place._

“Naruto, you need rest. The city is secure,” Hinata said softly.

“Can’t sleep Hinata. Not after yesterday,” Naruto replied.

“We sent the scroll. I’m sure they will be here by morning,” Hinata offered words of comfort.

“There’s been too much death in too little a time. Hinata, I feel out of my element. I don’t understand any of this… this witchcraft… these unnatural occurrences… this… devilry…” Naruto uttered as he ran his hand through his blond locks in frustration.

“I know. I don’t understand it either. But whatever this is… We will uncover the truth. We will find Yamato. We will find Tomoe,” Hinata replied.

Naruto leaned forward and without hesitation he wrapped his arms around the young woman, seeking pure comfort from the embrace. Hinata’s cheeks reddened, but she returned the comfort as she gently rubbed his back in circular motion.

_In the green meadows I fade away,_

_a lamb led for slaughter I come to claim._

Hinata let go of Naruto and instantly reached to cover his ears with her hands.

“Stay still Naruto! Do not move!” Hinata exclaimed, her Byakugan activated as she scanned the outside grounds of the city.

Her Byakugan fixated on the rolling fog, coming from the dark woodlands. There in the midst of the field stood a young boy, dressed in a white hakama. Hinata’s eyes widened in horror as the young boy seemed to move around the area fluidly, his deathly pale skin matching the colour of his hakama. The young boy’s gaze seemed to fix towards the pair standing on the rampart. Naruto struggled against Hinata’s hold, as if he was eager to listen to the rest of the boy’s haunting melody.

_In the green meadows I lie awake,_

_torn without hope, I simply ache,_

_My mother’s heart is broken,_

_Her smile is gone too,_

_There’s words left unspoken:_

_She’s coming after you._

“NARUTO!!” Hinata exclaimed.


End file.
